Green-and-white Hummingbird Elliotomyia viridicauda Scientific name definitions

This Peruvian endemic is locally common but unevenly distributed on the eastern Andean slopes of central Peru. Green-and-white Hummingbirds inhabit the canopy of humid forests, forest borders, clearings, and second growth. They frequently breed near Pasco and Machu Picchu. While similar in appearance to White-bellied Hummingbirds (Elliotomyia chionogaster), Green-and-white Hummingbirds are typically found in more humid areas.

10–11 cm; male 6·0 g, female 5·5 g. Male has straight, medium-sized bill, maxilla blackish, mandible reddish with dark tip; upperparts and flanks brilliant to bronze-green; centre of underparts whitish, spotted greenish on sides of chin and throat; undertail-coverts whitish, sometimes basally golden-green; rectrices greyish-green to golden green without white basal portions. Differs from rather similar E. chionogaster by duller, more olive tone to green of upperparts. Female has chin and throat light cream-coloured, the latter more heavily spotted green. Juvenile has cream-coloured parts extending to belly.

Has been included in genus Leucippus, largely for reasons of morphology, behaviour and biogeography. In the past, alternatively placed in genus Chionogaster, along with E. chionogaster; sympatric with that species in Urubamba Valley (C Peru), where hybridization not yet demonstrated. Monotypic.

E slope of Andes of Peru (S Huánuco S, locally, to Cuzco).

Song as E. chionogaster, a repeated short phrase of typically three squeaky notes, “tseet-chew-chip … tseet-chew-chip ...” or similar. Call also similar, two rising high-pitched notes followed by a descending stuttering series, “tsee-tseeet-tsi-tsi-tsi-tsi”.